My admission ticket says to arrive by 7:45am. What time does the test actually start, and how long should I expect to be there?
The test actually starts between 8:30 am and 9 am, but doors close at 8 am, so you need to make sure you're at your testing center by 7:45 in order to get in.
How long you should expect to be there depends on whether or not you're taking the essay. If you are NOT taking the essay, your total testing time (including breaks) will be around 3hrs and 10 minutes, so you'll probably be done between 11:40 am and 12:10 pm.
If you ARE taking the essay, the total testing time (including breaks) is 4hrs 5min to 4hrs 10 min, so you'll probably finish some time between 12:35 pm and 1:10 pm.
For more detail on how I arrived at this breakdown, be sure to read our article on the exact start and end times for the SAT.